Syrian troops killed three people and wounded several others yesterday in the border town of Tall Kalakh, a witness said, as the death toll rose despite a presidential no-shoot order and offer of dialogue.
Hundreds of Syrians, most of them women and children, fled across the border from Tall Kalakh for Lebanon yesterday, a local official said.
“More than 500 people have crossed since 7am, most of them women and children,” town councilor Mahmud Khazaal said.
The assault came a day after thousands of people took to the streets after the main weekly Muslim prayers for anti-regime -protests in the town, which lies about 160km north of Damascus.
At least five people were killed on Friday, activists said, despite an order from Syrian President Bashar al-Assad for security forces not to open fire on protesters and an offer of dialogue.
Friday’s bloodshed cast a pall over the government’s pledges to forge ahead with reforms in Syria, which has been gripped by two months of deadly protests, and triggered fresh condemnation from Western governments.
The US expressed renewed outrage and French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe blamed Assad for the deadly repression.
Britain summoned the Syrian ambassador in coordination with other European nations, warning of “further measures” if it failed to stop the crackdown.
Three people were shot dead during protests in the central city of Homs and two others were killed as they emerged from a mosque in Damascus, activists said.
Security sources also fired warning shots on Friday to disperse thousands of anti-government protesters in Daraa, scene of a massive 10-day military operation that ended last week.
Friday rallies also swept the northern, mostly Kurdish regions of Qamishli, Derbassiye and Amuda, activists said.
Several dissidents were -arrested on Friday in Homs and in and around Damascus, said Rami Abdul Rahman, head of the -London--based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
Syrian Information Minister Adnan Mahmud said the army started on Friday to pull out of the coastal province of Banias, where it deployed in force last week.
“A general national dialogue will start in the coming days in every governorate,” he told reporters, adding that Assad had already met delegates from several regions.
“The president has heard their grievances and their opinions about what is going on in Syria,” the minister said.
The Ministry of the Interior (MOI) is to tighten rules for candidates running for public office, requiring them to declare that they do not hold a Chinese household registration or passport, and that they possess no other foreign citizenship. The requirement was set out in a draft amendment to the Enforcement Rules of the Public Officials Election and Recall Act (公職人員選舉罷免法 ) released by the ministry on Thursday. Under the proposal, candidates would need to make the declaration when submitting their registration forms, which would be published in the official election bulletin. The move follows the removal of several elected officials who were
The Republic of China (ROC) is celebrating its 114th Double Ten National Day today, featuring military parades and a variety of performances and speeches in front of the Presidential Office in Taipei. The Taiwan Taiko Association opened the celebrations with a 100-drummer performance, including young percussionists. As per tradition, an air force Mirage 2000 fighter jet flew over the Presidential Office as a part of the performance. The Honor Guards of the ROC and its marching band also heralded in a military parade. Students from Taichung's Shin Min High School then followed with a colorful performance using floral imagery to represent Taiwan's alternate name
FOUR DESIGNATED AREAS: Notices were issued for live-fire exercises in waters south and northwest of Penghu, northeast of Keelung and west of Kaohsiung, they said The military is planning three major annual exercises across the army, navy and air force this month, with the navy’s “Hai Chiang” (海強, “Sea Strong”) drills running from today through Thursday, the Ministry of National Defense said yesterday. The Hai Chiang exercise, which is to take place in waters surrounding Taiwan, would feature P-3C Orion maritime patrol aircraft and S-70C anti-submarine helicopters, the ministry said, adding that the drills aim to bolster the nation’s offshore defensive capabilities. China has intensified military and psychological pressure against Taiwan, repeatedly sending warplanes and vessels into areas near the nation’s air defense identification zone and across
A Chinese takeover of Taiwan would severely threaten the national security of the US, Japan, the Philippines and other nations, while global economic losses could reach US$10 trillion, National Security Council Deputy Secretary-General Lin Fei-fan (林飛帆) wrote in an article published yesterday in Foreign Affairs. “The future of Taiwan is not merely a regional concern; it is a test of whether the international order can withstand the pressure of authoritarian expansionism,” Lin wrote in the article titled “Taiwan’s Plan for Peace Through Strength — How Investments in Resilience Can Deter Beijing.” Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) intent to take Taiwan by force
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